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Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

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Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

By: Colin Freeman
Narrated by: Stephen Perring
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About this listen

The true story of a retired British army officer’s private Somali-hostage rescue mission.

During the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms.

All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them.

At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car.

Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes listeners on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man’s heroic rescue mission.

©2021 Colin Freeman (P)2021 W F Howes 21st Century Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Maritime History & Piracy Modern Organized Crime True Crime World Crime Pirate Money
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I just got this book as a filler book with giving it much thought but it was an amazing story about the poor forgotten sailors held hostage, we often hear hear about the famous western hostages but like may forgotten sailors from the far east these guys got left by the boat owners very similar to the covid situation when thousands got stuck around the world with no held from the boat owners

one of the best i have heard this year

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Really well narrated and brilliant true story. Tells of how a few dedicated individuals did amazing things

Very well narrated and held my attention all the way through

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This book is well written and well researched. His style is very entertaining and down to earth bringing you along for the journey.

This tale of what happens with Somali pirates hijack a ship is a book I will never forget. Entertaining and thought provoking.

Gripping, entertaining, gut wrenching drama

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Very well written and moves at a great pace this book brings to life the reality of being kidnapped and kept for multiple years in Somalia and the total lack of support available for both the kidnapped and their would be rescuers

An engrossing story of three hijackings

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Very well written and narrated, but what a depressing story. And unfortunately, only one amongst many

Tragic story, hard to listen to at times

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